Titanic Trek
by James Church
Summary: Kirk and Spock must go back to 1912 to stop a renegade Romulan from changing the timeline.  In doing so, they encounter two young star-crossed lovers who meet on the doomed ship.  ST:TOS canon references as well.
1. Chapter 1

AN URGENT MESSAGE

"Captain's Log, Stardate 6015.5. Having finished our medical supply run to the fledgling colony on Pacifica, we are heading back to Earth for a minor re-fit and to take on new crew. On our second five-year mission, all is proceeding normally." James Kirk shut off the recorder, just as Lt. Uhura signaled an incoming message from Starfleet HQ. "Priority One, sir."

"On screen". The image of Admiral Sebastian Westervliet appeared. "Kirk, "he began quickly, "We've got a major problem here and you need to immediately go to maximum Warp to get back to Sol." Kirk was slightly stunned. "Yes, sir. What's the situation?" Westervliet looked to his right, "Perhaps, I better let somebody else explain that to you." The view panned over to…a Romulan. Kirk was very stunned at this. The male Romulan was in civilian dress, sitting at the desk with Westervliet.

"Captain Kirk," he began, "I am D'valak, Envoy from the Romulan Star Empire. As you may know, your Federation and our Empire are currently negotiating the opening of formal diplomatic relations." Kirk was aware of it. In fact, it was even thought that within a few years, there would be an actual "Romulan Ambassador" to the Federation. Still, the image of a Romulan sitting at Starfleet Headquarters was quite disconcerting.

D'valak continued. "And you may further know that we Romulans, as well as the Federation, and even the Klingons and the other warp-capable governments have signed the Time Travel Ban Treaty, ratified last year. As such, we wish to alert the Federation of a rogue element within our Star Navy." He pressed a button on the desk and a still image came on the screen. Kirk recognized the Romulan woman immediately. It was the female commander he and Spock had encountered on Stardate 5027.3, when the "Enterprise" had stolen the new prototype cloaking device.

"This is Dion Charvon of the family Charvanek," D'valak explained, "No doubt you remember her. After your 'incident' with her squadron, she was dismissed from the Star Navy dishonorably. The insult has pushed her to seek revenge, not only upon you, Commander Spock, but the entire Federation." He pressed another button; a modified Romulan D-7 cruiser appeared. Kirk noted several additions to the warp nacelles, he didn't recognize. "This is the IRW Metka and we believe it is on a direct course for Earth."

Kirk asked "Why did you mention the Time Travel Treaty, Mr. Envoy?" D'valak sighed with deep concern. "Because, Captain, we believe that Commander Charvon is going to time travel, back into Earth's past and alter the timeline. Likely in an attempt to eradicate yourself, Mr. Spock, or the entire Federation." Kirk couldn't help himself. "Forgive a rude question, Mr. Envoy, but …why wouldn't the Romulan Empire support that?" "Captain!" Westervliet exclaimed. D'valak waved him down. "No, Admiral. It is a logical question given the animosity between our two governments."

"Because, Captain Kirk," he began, "We too recognize the dangers of disrupting the timeline. There is nothing to suggest that if Charvon's actions are taken, it couldn't pose grave consequences to our existence as well. If she somehow creates a stronger, more militaristic Earth, for example, that goes to war with the Romulan Empire in 2156 and not only defeats us, but conquers us." Kirk nodded. "Admiral, what are our orders?"

Westervliet recomposed, said slowly. "Make best speed to Earth. We're transmitting the warp signature, cloaking device frequency, and other pertinent data on Charvon's ship to you. That should let you lock onto it. Naturally, we'd like to see her stopped without loss of life." He turned and looked at D'valak for a moment. "But we've been assured by the Romulan government that they will support destroying the ship and its crew if necessary."

Kirk acknowledged and ordered Sulu to go to Warp 8. He turned to Scotty and said, "Give me all she's got, Mr. Scott." The Chief Engineer nodded, "Aye, sir. You'll get Warp 9 or better. " He left to go to Main Engineering.


	2. Chapter 2

THE PURSUIT-

"Stardate 6016.1, Captain's Log supplemental. We are now twenty-two minutes from Sol. Long range scanners are on maximum as we attempt to find the Romulan ship. No signs yet, but we are proceeding at Warp 9.12 and hopefully have outpaced the ship and will reach Earth before it does." Kirk deactivated the recorder and walked over to Spock's Science Station.

"Spock, what do you think?" The Vulcan slightly raised his eyebrow. "There is an 89.5% probability that we should be able to reach Earth before Commander Charvon's ship. But only a 29.3% we can intercept the ship before it attempts time travel." "Why is that?" Kirk asked. Spock explained, "The ship is unconcerned with detection, or even attack, in our time period, merely speed.. Speed it will need to attempt a slingshot maneuver around the Sun and pass beyond the time-warp threshold. As such, it will very difficult to stop." Kirk pondered this. "What can we do?"

Spock thought for a moment. "Likely, we will have to follow it on a similar course and trajectory, and intercept the ship when it emerges from time-warp. At that point, the 'Metka' will be in a weak position and we can defeat, and if we must, destroy it." "Yes," Kirk began, "But we don't know what time-period in the past it's aiming for." He considered possibilities. "It could be attempting to attack Earth before the Romulan War, perhaps during the Xindi attack, to throw suspicion on them. It could be going back to kill Zephram Cochrane. Hell, it could be going back to blow up Apollo-11 before Armstrong touches down on the Moon." Spock nodded. "Yes, sir. There are numerous scenarios."

The next twenty minutes passed anxiously for the crew of the "Enterprise". The ship sped towards Earth. Emerging from warp some fifty million kilometers from Mars, it scanned towards the third planet and along projected trajectories from Romulan space. "Take us in closer to Earth, Mr. Sulu, " Kirk ordered. "Aye, sir." The ship on full impulse made for the planet. The captain turned to his Science Officer. "Spock? Anything?" The Vulcan shook his head. "Nothing yet, sir. Increasing bandwidth on the….wait. Sir, I have a signal. Possibly a vessel. At fifty million kilometers, 051 mark 115 …cloaked, but I have it localized!"

Kirk spun in his chair, "Sulu, plot an intercept course," The starship turned slightly and accelerated towards the unknown contact. Minutes passed, as Spock read off closing figures. "Forty million kilometers and closing." Chekov looked up from the Navigation console, "Kep'tin, she's making for the Sun." Spock interrupted. "And she's going back to warp. Obviously the vessel has detected us, sir." "Warp speed, Mr. Sulu," Kirk ordered, "Prepare for warp speed combat." The Federation starship leaped into subspace and began to close on the presumed Romulan vessel. As they approached the Sun, the cloak was dropped and a Romulan variant of the Klingon D-7 cruiser became visible.

Spock called again. "Vessel definitely Romulan, and definitely making a slingshot, hyper-warp maneuver around the Sun, sir. Computing trajectory and speed for time-warp factor." "Sir, we're still not within phaser range," Sulu reported. Kirk kept his eye on the Main Viewscreen. "Stay with her, Mr. Sulu." The Helmsman nodded. "Gravimetric warp variable at 615.052, sir," Spock declared, "Time warp initiating. Feeding matching speed and heading into our Helm station." Sulu hit a button and the "Enterprise" began an ultra-high speed maneuver around the Sun; the starship barely 10,000 kilometers above the corona. Shield alerts went off as well as an intense whining sound from the warp engines. The noise became deafening. The "Enterprise" strained at the unbelievable speeds, control boards shorted out. Power meters all went into the red. One last call out from Spock was heard over the drone. "Breaking maneuvers by the Romulan vessel!"


	3. Chapter 3

WHEN ARE WE?

The "Enterprise" was approaching the Earth. The Romulan ship drifted slowly in a high orbit of the planet. Through the haze of smoke on the bridge, accented by the emergency lighting, Kirk turned to Uhura. "Hail that vessel, tell them to stand down and be prepared for boarding." Though his own ship's condition wasn't much better, he hoped he could bluff the Romulans into thinking they were vulnerable. Uhura acknowledged.

"Sulu", he began, "Have we got impulse back on line." "Aye, sir." "Then, full impulse to that ship." He punched the intercom button to Engineering. "Scotty, what's our status". Over the speaker the Scotsman answered slowly, "Warp core coming back on-line, but it'll be a few minutes." "Have we got phasers?" "Three banks still charged, sir," was the response.

He looked to Spock. "What do you have, Spock?" The Vulcan had already been scanning the Romulan ship. "Minimal power on the vessel. Warp core appears to be off-line and the shields are down. Detecting a crew of thirty, no movement from four of them." Uhura interrupted. "Captain, I know they are receiving us, but I'm getting no response." Kirk nodded. He pressed the intercom button again, "Security detachments report to the Transporter Room. Prepare for boardin…" Before he could continue the Main Viewscreen flashed brilliantly. All eyes squinted or turned away.

"Spock?" Kirk said re-opening his eyes fully. The Science Officer scanned again. "Romulan ship destroyed. I am detecting no escape pods." Kirk looked back to the screen. "I don't believe Charvon came all this way to commit suicide." "No, sir," Spock responded, "Sensors detected a transporter signal just before the explosion." "Location?" The Vulcan seemed perplexed. "Oddly, the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean." "Greenland?" Kirk asked confused. Spock shook his head. "No, sir. There are no land-masses near the site of the transport."

"Spock? Where…I mean, _when_ are we?" Kirk asked. Spock once again turned to the sensor read-out cowl and looked into it. "Detecting no fusion or fission power sources on the surface." The Captain nodded. "Means sometime before the mid-20th Century." Spock continued as the "Enterprise" closed to within a few thousand kilometers of Earth. "Numerous railways in use. That would indicate a time-period no earlier than the late 19th Century. No aircraft, even around the major industrial nations-states of Europe or the United States." Kirk nodded again. Spock went on. "I am detecting little in the way of electromagnetic signals. Though some in the low hertz range. I believe it was known as 'wireless telegraphy', but not audio." Kirk stared at the Viewscreen, "So that would pre-date the 1920s." "Yes, sir, "Spock responded. "So, we've narrowed it down to the first two decades of the 20th Century…1900 to 1920." "Or thereabouts, Captain."

As the ship entered orbit, Kirk ordered Sulu to put the "Enterprise" in a geo-synchronous orbit over the North Atlantic. "Spock," he began, "Have you determined the exact location of the transport." "I believe so, Captain." He pressed a button and the sensor scan came onto the Main Viewscreen. An aerial view of a large ocean-going vessel became visible. It was about 270 meters long and twenty-eight wide according to data projected on the side of the screen, and was traveling approximately thirty-five kilometers an hour. A long trail of wake went behind it.

"Spock?" Kirk began, "Is that what I think it is?" Spock increased the magnification on the aft of the ship. Clearly visible, in white lettering, small writing read "LIVERPOOL", but larger and above was…"TITANIC".


	4. Chapter 4

THE PLAN-

The meeting in the Conference Room was quick. It had to be. No one knew what damage to the timeline, Charvon and potentially other Romulans could be causing on the "Titanic". Kirk spoke first. "Spock, what have we got on the passengers on the ship?"

"A great deal, sir, "the Vulcan began, "There were many luminaries of the 1910s onboard. John Jacob Astor IV, Benjamin Guggenheim, Margaret 'Molly' Brown, Cosmo Duff-Gordon, etc. Any of whom surviving when they should not have or not surviving when they should have, could alter the timeline. Additionally, any of the other 2200-plus passengers. An immigrant in third-class or 'steerage' could perish, and their descendents be erased, starting a chain reaction throughout history." Kirk nodded.

"What is the local time and date on the ship?" he asked. "Given the position of the ship at sea and the Earth's terminator, I've determined it to be approximately 1800 hours locally, early evening of April the twelfth. A Friday." "And time until the collision is another two days," Kirk finished. Spock nodded and then added. "Our sensors cannot distinguish between the humans and any Romulans from orbit. The ferrous content," he paused, "By that I mean iron, of the ship means that we will have to perform an on-site inspection with tricorders." Kirk nodded again. "This means we're going to have to go down there." "Yes, sir."

McCoy spoke up. "Jim, what's your plan?" Kirk thought a moment. "Spock and I will beam down. We'll pose as a first class passenger and his 'manservant'. Sorry, Spock." The Vulcan shook his head. "No need to apologize, Captain. My appearance would be taken as 'Oriental' by the passengers. Given the racial and socio-economic prejudices of the time, it is a logical solution." The Captain smiled and continued. "We'll beam into one of the un-used first class cabins and use that as our point of operations for as long as we need to." McCoy interrupted. "Wait. There were empty first class cabins on the 'Titanic'?" Spock nodded. "Yes, Doctor. Despite what many think, many of the cabins went unsold. Cabin B-59 should suffice for our purposes, Captain."

Kirk agreed and went on. "We'll try to avoid direct communications with the passengers and crew as much as possible. But we may have little choice. Ship's Stores will provide us with the appropriate attire. Oh, and we'll likely need currency." McCoy interrupted again. "And Spock, as much as you may not like it, I think this time, you may want me to 'bob' those ears of yours, to prevent any embarrassing questions." The Vulcan raised an eyebrow, barely hiding his distaste. "Yes, Doctor. I shall report to Sickbay immediately."

Further quick elements of the mission were discussed and Kirk accompanied Spock and McCoy to Sickbay. A quick plastic surgery procedure "rounded" the Vulcan's ears. There was no time for any other changes to his appearance. The two men then quickly proceeded to the Quartermaster's and donned appropriate 1912 clothing. Additional clothing was packed into a "steamer trunk" and taken to the Transporter Room. Scotty was waiting for them there when they arrived.

"Mr. Scott, " Kirk began, "You have the conn until our return. Keep monitoring the 'Titanic' from orbit. If we signal via the communicators or the subcutaneous transponders, it'll mean we're ready to return and beam us out quickly. Hopefully that'll be before 0220 hours on April 15th." Scotty was puzzled. Kirk continued. "The final moments before the ship went under." The Engineered nodded solemnly. Kirk and Spock took their places on the transporter pad. "Energize, Mr. Scott."


	5. Chapter 5

THE ARRIVAL-

As the transporter beam faded, Kirk and Spock found themselves in a darkened room. Spock activated his tricorder and the light from the screen was enough for Kirk to find the light switch on the wall. The view was remarkable. Cabin B-59 was of course empty, but lavishly furnished, as were all the first-class cabins and suites of the 'Titanic'. Wooden panels, beaded lamps, fresh Egyptian cotton linens covering the bed. The two men admired the scene. Kirk, a fan of antiques, looked at the fixtures fondly. "It was truly grand….is truly grand," he corrected. Spock nodded. "Symbolic of what was known as the 'Gilded Age' of Earth's past." The trunk with their extra apparel was pushed towards a wall of the cabin.

Kirk went to the door leading to the outside corridor. He cracked it and saw a steward departing to the aft. Quickly, he and Spock emerged from the cabin. They quickly deduced that most of the passengers were still at dinner. "Let's go up to the Boat Deck," Kirk said, "We should see fewer people and we might get lucky and spot Charvon." Spock agreed.

Passing a few crew-members and one or two passengers, Spock still drew stares. Kirk in black coat and tails, appeared as any other first-class passenger and the assumption that Spock was his "manservant" was generally accepted and no further thought given to it. The men from the "Enterprise" made it to the Boat Deck. Chilly mid-Atlantic air struck them, but they ignored it and began walking towards the aft end of the ship. As the last person went out of sight, Spock pulled out his tricorder, from a leather valise modeled after those of the time. He began scanning.

As they passed the life-boats, Kirk couldn't help but comment. "What idiocy. There's plenty of room for a half dozen or more lifeboats. What were they thinking?" Spock undistracted, commented "It was felt by the management of the White Star Line that further lifeboats would 'disrupt' the appearance of the vessel. By current law, the requisite number of lifeboats and no more were apportioned." Kirk shook his head incredulous.

Nearing the end of the Boat Deck, both men noticed something at the tail-end of the boat. A young woman, mounting the railing on the aft, and climbing over it. Kirk jerked instinctively towards her. Spock grabbed his shoulder. "Captain, we cannot interfere." Kirk relaxed slightly. The Vulcan continued, "However…there were no proven reports of suicides onboard the 'Titanic', certainly none _before_ the sinking." Both men puzzled on this for a moment. Just then, as the woman apparently seemed ready to jump, a young man approached from behind. She turned her head and began talking to him. Kirk and Spock looked at each other for a moment.

The conversation continued for a few minutes. Neither Spock nor Kirk could hear what they were saying. It became apparent though that the young man had convinced the woman to come back over the rail. Suddenly, she slipped and screamed for help. But the young man caught her and dragged her back over the railing. After a mere moment, a ship's officer arrives. Then several other officers who place the young man under arrest. Two men in dress suits arrive and join the group. A minute more passed and the young man was released from custody; the misunderstanding apparently corrected. Then, all but the young man depart back inside the ship. Kirk motions to Spock. "I'll be right back, keep scanning for Charvon." "Captain, we were attempting to limit our interactions?" Kirk waved him down. "It's okay, just want to talk to him for a moment."


	6. Chapter 6

A LITTLE STORY ABOUT JACK AND JIM-

As Kirk made his way over to the aft end of B Deck, he saw the young man sitting on a bench tying his shoes. "Hello." The young man stood up and looked at him. "You with those fellows?" he asked.

"No," Kirk answered honestly, "I was just strolling the deck and saw your…'encounter'..with them." The young man was blonde, blue-eyed, very lean. He was wearing a threadbare coat, suspenders, white shirt, and brown pants. He smiled. "There was a little confusion, but it got straightened out." He held out his hand, "Jack Dawson." Kirk shook it. "James Kirk." "You're an American, too, huh?" Kirk nodded slightly. "Iowa." The young man thumbed to himself. "Wisconsin". The Captain of the Enterprise smiled again. "Well, we're neighbors, then, huh?" Jack Dawson nodded.

"What do you do, Jack?" Kirk asked sitting beside him on the bench. "Kind of a wanderer, I guess. Artist mostly," he answered, and then added, "What about you, James?" Kirk waved a bit. "Call me Jim. Kind of a wanderer too…explorer." Dawson nodded with a bit of a smirk. "Oh, yeah? One of those millionaires that goes off exploring Africa, climbing the Swiss Alps, etc.?" Kirk nodded with a slight grin. "Yes, something like that." Then he pressed the point he was really interested in. "Who was that girl, Jack?" Dawson shrugged. "Don't know. First name is 'Rose', 'Bukater' I guess, given what that tall fellow said." Kirk nodded trying to appear disinterested. "Well, you saved her life." Dawson looked askance. "You…uh…see everything?" Kirk stood up and smiled. "You and Rose's secret is safe with me…one American to another. Have a good night." And he walked away.

Rejoining Spock towards the bow end of the Boat Deck, Kirk asked the Science Officer. "Anything?" The Vulcan shook his head. "Negative, sir. All life-signs so far are Terrans." "We'll wait until the passengers turn in for the night, and then start scanning the ship interiors," the Captain began. Spock nodded. "We won't make it too late into the night; that might seem suspicious. Then when we get back to the cabin, I want you to access the historical data-banks of the 'Enterprise'. See what we've got on a 'Jack Dawson' and a 'Rose Bukater'." Spock nodded again, unsure of why Kirk wanted such information.


	7. Chapter 7

CLUES-

Back in Cabin B-59, Spock was analyzing the data streaming into his tricorder from the "Enterprise". After a few minutes, he looked up at Kirk, who was changing from formal dinner-wear into more casual "every day" attire. "Interesting, Captain." Kirk looked over his shoulder at the small viewscreen of the device. Spock explained. "Rose DeWitt Bukater is listed as one of those few first-class female passengers to have perished on the 'Titanic'. Oddly, her mother, Ruth, as well as her fiancé Caledon Hockley were both survivors." Kirk scratched his chin. "That is odd."

Spock went on. "Even more strangely, sir. I can find no listing on the ship's passenger list, even to the third-class passengers for a 'Jack Dawson', nor 'John Dawson' or any permutation." Kirk was really puzzled now. "A stowaway?" he guessed. "Unlikely, sir. He would have to have a ticket. Ships of this time were not completely lackadaisical in security; they were still cognizant of stowaways and took means to prevent them boarding. Or if onboard, they would be arrested." Kirk continued to be confused. "I don't think he's a Romulan," he laughed. "I took the liberty of scanning him during your discussion," Spock added agreeing. James Kirk wondered out loud. "Could there be some connection between the two mysteries?"

Leaving that unresolved for the moment, the men from the "Enterprise" checked in with the ship to apprize it of their situation and then went out to scan the interior of the "Titanic" for Charvon and whoever else might be with her. Most of the passengers were now in their quarters. Stewards roamed the halls, but were becoming rarer. Spock was able to stop every few moments and unobtrusively scan the surroundings. The scans proved negative. As it approached eleven o'clock, a steward approached Kirk as he and Spock went down the Grand Staircase towards the first class Dining Salon.

"Sir?" the young British man began, "Can I assist you?" Kirk smiled. "No, thank you. I was merely going to show my man here, the Dining Salon. He ate in our room, of course, but was curious to see it." The steward looked closely at Spock. Kirk continued. "He's a ..uh..Siberian. Speaks very good English though. Couldn't do without him." The steward smiled. "Well, sir, if you won't be needing anything, I'll be off." He tipped his cap at Kirk and went down the corridor.

"It's getting a little suspicious for us to be wandering around the ship this late at night," Kirk said. Spock agreed and they returned to their cabin. Spock continued to work, analyzing historical data from the "Enterprise" as Kirk rested on the bed in the room. He eventually fell asleep.

"Captain?" Kirk awoke with Spock tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "I think I may have something." Kirk quickly rubbed his eyes and looked at the tricorder screen again. Spock pressed a playback. "This is the list of the survivors. Again, no mention of a 'Jack Dawson' or 'Rose DeWitt Bukater'. However, look at this entry." Kirk squinted slightly. He noticed lately farsightedness developing. Ignoring it, he read the entry. "Rose Dawson." He looked at Spock. "Any record of her boarding the ship?" Spock shook his head. "Negative, sir. I've double-checked. There is no listing for a 'Rose Dawson' boarding the 'Titanic'." Kirk offered, "She and Dawson got married on the ship?" Spock shook his head again. "Again, no reference to any marriages being performed on the 'Titanic'. Even if the marriage was performed without other witnesses, a record would have been noted by Captain Smith as well as several other officers for legal purposes. And given the minutiae of 'Titanic' lore that has been documented over the centuries, such a marriage could not remain secret. And one other thing," he moved the entry slightly left of the screen. "Rose Dawson is listed as a third-class passenger, not a first-class passenger." Kirk considered this "So it may not be the same woman we saw last night?" He sighed. "Or the whole thing could be a blind alley, with no relevance to why Dion Charvon is on this ship?" Spock nodded.

"Okay, for now," Kirk began, "Let's get back to work trying to find Charvon and whoever else might be with her. Let's split up, I'll take the upper decks. First-class lounges, the gymnasium, etc. You scan the second and third-class decks." He pulled out his communicator; he checked to make sure the incoming signal was set for "Vibrate" Spock did the same. "If you pick up anything, let me know and I'll do the same." Assembling their equipment and hiding it from sight, the two men again surreptitiously left the cabin.


	8. Chapter 8

SATURDAY ON THE "TITANIC"-

As Jim Kirk made his way through the various sections of the First Class rooms of the "Titanic" he was again amazed at the elegance and even opulence of the vessel. The passenger starships of his time weren't appointed like this. As the passengers strolled by, he also noted the vast socio-economic differences of the time period. It was an age of a few elite rich, with almost the entire remainder of the population living slightly above or just at a subsistence level. The "Titanic" itself was often stated to be a symbol of that time, especially given the preponderance of first-class passengers that survived versus those in second-class or more so in "steerage".

He happened to enter the First Class Smoking Room. As a history buff and from previous encounters with the 20th Century or its equivalent, he easily identified the smell of burning tobacco, though there was a much more aromatic odor to it. Also, there was an undercurrent of something else, which he could only guess was brandy or cognac. He thought to himself "Mr. Scott's realm of expertise." As he scanned the room, he saw several men in lounge chairs talking, some playing cards. Without Kirk noticing, a tall, burly man with a moustache came up behind him. "Good morning, "he said in a friendly manner, "Haven't seen you before? Care to join us for a cigar and brandy?"

Kirk was about to politely decline, when he noticed that with the burly man, was a younger, dark-headed man who had been Rose Bukater's escort last night. He assumed it was Caledon Hockley, her fiancé. Kirk smiled, "Very kind of you. Uh, mister…?" The younger man laughed slightly. "Do you mean you don't know Colonel Archibald Gracie?" Kirk smiled innocently. Gracie and Hockley introduced themselves and they proceeded to a set of chairs.

"So," Colonel Gracie began, "Didn't catch your name?" Kirk adjusted his chair. "James Kirk" Hockley looked at Kirk with a raised eyebrow. "Of the Philadelphia Kirks?" "No," Kirk responded, "The Riverside Kirks." Hockley seemed confused but let the point go. "And what business are you in, Kirk?" Colonel Gracie asked. Jim Kirk had prepared a modest, but affluent and believable resume for himself. "Grain silos, farming supplies, cattle. My father is good friends with Iowa Governor Beryl Carroll." Both Hockley and Gracie gave appreciative looks. Kirk smiled to himself at the silliness of such attitudes.

After allowing for the cigars (which Kirk cautiously sampled, imagining the harangue that Bones would give him later) to be lit and the brandy to be poured, he cautiously interviewed Hockley. "I heard there was some trouble with your fiancé last night, Hockley?" Cal Hockley seemed surprised and a bit agitated. "Word travels fast on a ship, eh?" he responded. "Oh, well, no matter. Some ragamuffin saved her from falling overboard. Thought it might give us some fun tonight to have him come to dinner with us." He laughed, turning to Colonel Gracie. "Put it down to 'philanthropy', like old Carnegie would do." Gracie laughed politely. Kirk didn't.

"So, when's the wedding?" Hockley breathed deep, regarding his cigar. "Soon as we get back to Pittsburgh. Naturally, she and her mother are fretting over all the usual feminine idiocies. Flowers, dresses, etc. But we'll get it sorted out in a week or so." Kirk faked a smile. "Well, you two must be very much in love." He noticed a darkening of Hockley's face, that the young millionaire quickly tried to recover from, before replying. "Oh, yes. She's mad about me. She'll make a fine wife and mother." Kirk faked a smile again. He stayed a few minutes more and then excused himself, claiming an appointment for a squash game.


	9. Chapter 9

SPOCK'S SATURDAY-

Commander Spock meanwhile had continued to mingle among the second-class and third-class passengers. Eventually he ended up in the General Area for the Third Class below decks. As he looked over the passengers and made quick scans with his tricorder when he was alone, he spotted Jack Dawson sitting at a table, sketching in an artist's notebook. Cautiously, the Vulcan moved to within earshot of Dawson, in case some other clues as to his identity might become apparent. He was drawing pictures for a small girl. At one point, the girl (whom Spock overhead was named "Cora") knocks over the sketchbook and several of the drawings scatter on the floor. One of them ends up at Spock's feet, he grabs it. As he does, he notes that it was of a nude woman.

"Believe that's mine, pal." Spock turns and looks to see Dawson standing directly in front of him. "I beg your pardon," the Vulcan said handing over the paper. "You are quite good," he adds. Dawson thanked him and returned to his seat with the little girl. As he is about to leave, Spock notices Rose DeWitt Bukater entering the room. To his surprise, the room falls silent and all eyes turn and stare at her. He quickly reminds himself of the "oddity" of a member of the elite first-class, deigning to appear in a third-class area. Rose Bukater also notices the effect and becomes self-conscious.

Seeing Jack, she moves towards him. Spock is able to overhear their conversation easily, though he pretends to be brushing dirt from his jacket. "Hello, Jack," she begins. "Hello again," Dawson responds. Looking about the room, the young woman asks, "Could I speak to you in private?" Dawson nods. "Uh, yes. Of course. After you." He motions her ahead and follows. Spock secretly follows them out another door and behind them to the Boat Deck.

He tried to remain innocuous, fortunately the young couple were too distracted by each other to notice him. Their conversation wasn't particularly revealing. What had transpired the previous night, information on Bukater's engagement to Hockley, Dawson's artistic ability. No further clues on any relationship the two might have, except for Spock's own limited knowledge of human sexual interactions, commonly called "romance".

"Can I help you, sir?" A voice came from behind Spock. It was one of the lower officers. His air, Spock noted, was of suspicion, likely given Spock's attire. "I am the manservant to a Mr. Kirk, a first-class passenger. I am attempting to find him to report a wireless telegraph he received from his brokers in New York." The officer immediately became more subservient. "Oh, I see. Of course. Have you checked the Smoking Room or the Gymnasium?" Spock bowed slightly in appreciation. "Thank you, sir. I will attempt that." Dawson and Bukater had already moved on and Spock felt no need to continue his surveillance of them.

Reaching a sealed access-way, Spock entered and closed the hatch behind himself. He opened his communicator. "Spock to Kirk." A response came within a few moments. "Kirk, here. What have you got, Spock?" "Nothing else to report, sir. My scans of the passengers still prove negative. I happened upon Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater again. In my limited experience, I would say a potential romantic relationship may be developing between them." Kirk added, "Yes. It's pretty apparent that she and Hockley are not exactly a match made in Heaven. Likely the engagement may have spawned the suicide attempt."

Spock was admittedly confused. "Sir? Why does the woman not simply refuse to marry him? Human betrothals of this era and culture are not legally binding." Kirk's laugh came over the speaker. "Well, Spock, sometimes there are other demands besides legal ones even in this 'enlightened' era." He paused. "Continue your scans. I'm going to continue looking around up here." Spock acknowledged and put away the communicator.

As he exited the access-way, a figure emerged from further down the corridor unnoticed by Spock.


	10. Chapter 10

THE LYNCH-PIN-

Kirk and Spock's efforts continued into the evening. To avoid suspicion, the "Enterprise" had beamed down some rations and they both ate silently in Cabin B-59 as Spock continued to review historical data. Kirk walked out on the Promenade. It was empty as almost all the first-class passengers had gone to dinner in the Saloon. He found it hard to imagine that, in a little more than twenty-four hours, the entire ship and over fifteen hundred people with it would be going down in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. After several hours, after the sun had set, Spock called him from the cabin. "Captain, I believe I have found the answer we've been looking for."

Kirk looked at the tricorder screen. Spock explained. "This is Rose Dawson from a 1920 still photograph from a motion picture that she had a minor role in." The image was clearly Rose DeWitt Bukater, only a few years older, posing with an overweight man identified as "Fatty Arbuckle". "So, Rose Bukater is Rose Dawson," Kirk stated. "And more," Spock replied. "I did a full genealogical trace on her. In 1928, she marries Phillip Calvert and moves to Cedar Rapids, Iowa." "Iowa?" Kirk slightly exclaimed. Spock nods and continues.

"She has three children, two male and one female. The female marries an Edward Donovan of Washington County, Iowa and their daughter in 1987 marries Marcus Aurelius Kirk and together than have one son in 1989." "Edward Constantine Kirk?" the Captain offered. Spock nodded. James Kirk was well aware of his own genealogy back to the early 1900s. "Both being your direct male ancestors." "So Charvon is after me?" Spock shook his head. "I'm afraid it doesn't end there, sir." He pressed another display button. "The youngest male of the Calvert children eventually has a single granddaughter, Elizabeth Calvert. In 1999, she marries a Brock Lovett, an oceanic explorer of some note. Their daughter Rose marries James Grayson of Nantucket, Massachusetts in 2029." Kirk looked at Spock stunned. "Grayson?" "Yes, sir. Their son will be Richard Grayson, my mother's direct male ancestor."

Damn, Kirk thought. "So all she has to do is see to it that Rose Bukater…uh, Dawson…uh, Calvert. Whatever, doesn't survive. And both you and I are eliminated." Spock sighed and presses another display button. "Jim, it goes farther than that." Kirk still reeling looks at another genealogical display. The eldest son of Phillip and Rose Calvert is Thomas Calvert, his great-great grandson will be Gregory Archer." Kirk sank. "You don't mean?" Spock nodded, "The direct male ancestor of Jonathan Archer, captain of the Earth ship 'Enterprise', negotiator of the Coalition of Planets, and the first President of the United Federation of Planets."

Jim Kirk slumped on the bed. Spock continued, even admiringly. "It must have taken months of research of the Federation Genealogical Database, but Charvon found the key 'lynch-pin' of history, for not only your existence and my existence, but the very existence of the Federation as well. All in one young woman on a doomed ship."

They sat there silently for a few moments. "But she's got to realize the harm it may cause even the Romulans?" Kirk asked, "Any of that might result in the destruction of her own existence when Mankind encounters the Romulans, or as D'valak said, destroy the Empire." Spock shook his head. "What does she have to lose, Jim? Her dishonor and dismissal have ruined her permanently in the Romulan Star Navy. From what I learned of the biographical information sent to us, she has no children and no family left." They both went silent again.

"Okay," Kirk said defiantly, "Well, we're not going to let that happen." He packed up his equipment again. "We still have one advantage, sir, "Spock interjected. Kirk turned, "And what is that?" "We know that Rose Bukater will become Rose Dawson…Charvon does not. She can't." Kirk nodded. "No, she couldn't. Or she would have already killed Rose, poisoned her, or thrown her overboard. Hell, shot her with a disruptor pistol, given she's got no concern about temporal interference." Spock nodded as well. "Exactly. Only the fact that we have discovered Jack Dawson's relationship with her and the fact that Dawson failed to be listed on the Ship's Passenger List, and thus himself unknown to history, have kept her safe…thus far."

"We're going to start all over, "Kirk began, "From the very bottom of the ship and work our way up. We've got twenty-four hours before it hits the iceberg and I want Dion Charvon in the brig of the 'Enterprise' or dead well before then. You understand me, Spock?" The Vulcan nodded. They quickly left the cabin and started to make their way into the bowels of the "Titanic".


	11. Chapter 11

TITANIC BATTLE-

As Kirk and Spock descended, the lack of passengers and crew made scanning with the tricorder easy. But still, they detected nothing but other humans and Spock. Finally they reached the lowest portion of the ship, known as the "Tank Top". Starting at the bow they worked their way to the rear of the ship. Most of the front compartments were cargo, which then opened into the Boiler Rooms. Sweating laborers were shoveling coal into the furnaces. The Officer in charge stopped them.

"Here," he said angrily, "What are you two doing down here?" Kirk stepped forward, he presented the man a badge that he had had the "Enterprise" replicate before they left. "James Kirk, American Maritime Commission", he stated firmly, "I'm here at the behest of Mr. Ismay and Mr. Andrews to make sure this ship comports with the maritime rules of the United States of America before we reach New York." The man seemed confused, but gazed at the bronze badge impressed. "American Maritime Commission?" Kirk was adamant. "That's right," he continued, "Now, do you want to keep bothering me and my assistant and we take this up with Mr. Ismay or Captain Smith…or are you going to let me do my job, sir! It's your choice entirely, sir."

The poor officer was thrown off and began apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Kirk" "Commissioner Kirk!" the Captain of the "Enterprise" said angrily, while secretly hoping he didn't crack up. "Sorry, sorry, it's just that I wasn't informed," the British man continued, "Anything we can do to help the American Government, Mr. Commissioner." Kirk nodded with distain. "All right then, I won't report this. We are after all cousins across the sea." He smiled lightly. "Just please let us continue our inspection." The officer moved aside.

As they left the last boiler room and the crewmen behind, Spock turned to Kirk. "'American Maritime Commission', Captain?" Kirk smiled. "Sounded official enough…and he bought it." Reaching the Electrical Generators, they climbed up to the access ladders again and entered the oddly-named "Orlop Deck." Spock activated his tricorder. Almost immediately, he said, "Captain. I am detecting a humanoid life-form in the Refrigerated Cargo compartment. It's a Romulan." Simultaneously, he and Kirk drew their hand phasers.

Opening the hatchway, they saw a darkened frozen compartment, covered in ice. Sides of beef, plucked chickens, and pork loins and chops could be made out in the darkness. As they turned on the switch, movement occurred in the back. "Come out of there," Kirk ordered. Immediately a greenish bolt shot out at them. Rolling for cover, Kirk and Spock went in separate directions. The Captain signaled with his hands. Spock moved cautiously left towards the wall. Kirk waited a few moments then ran towards the forward wall. More greenish bolts shot after him, but Kirk saw an orange bolt fire from Spock's position towards the shooter. A thump was heard of a stunned body hitting the metal deck.

Kirk ran over to join Spock. A hooded figure in 23rd Century thermal gear was laying face down. Kirk rolled the body over. It was a Romulan male, about forty. The winter gear Kirk recognized, as standard to most space-faring races. But Spock pointed out something else. He pressed a button on the right wrist of the Romulan's arm. Immediately, the material shimmered and then became translucent. Except for a slight hazy "edge", he was invisible. Spock felt for the invisible arm and de-activated it again.

"Let's get him back up to the 'Enterprise'," Kirk stated.


	12. Chapter 12

AN "INTERVIEW" WITH A TITANIC SURVIVOR-

"Captain's Log, Stardate…Earth date, April 14th, 1912. There are now just ten hours left until the 'Titanic' strikes the iceberg. We have captured a male Romulan. We are unsure but we hope he is the only other Romulan besides Commander Charvon onboard the doomed ocean liner. He his now being held in the Interrogation Room of our Ship's Brig."

James Kirk and Spock entered the Interrogation Room still wearing their 20th Century apparel. With speed of the essence, neither wanted to waste time changing back into their uniforms. Two "Enterprise" Security officers stood at either end of the door and entered with them, to see the Romulan prisoner firmly held in a chair by magnetic fields. The Romulan had been stripped of his "cloaking suit" and stared around disinterestedly at his surroundings.

Kirk spoke first, "Who are you?" The Romulan thought for a moment. "Sub-Commander Kel Mardak of the Romulan Imperial Star Navy." Kirk continued. "Where is Dion Charvon?" The Romulan thought again for a moment. "Onboard the RMS Titanic, bound for New York City, I believe." Kirk was growing irritated at the prisoner, more so because he was actually answering the questions. Something he hadn't expected from a Romulan. "What is her plan?" he pressed. The Romulan noted his boots and tried to adjust himself, as best he could in the chair. "To change history."

Kirk turned to Spock. "Okay, I can see where this is going?" Looking back, he saw the slight smile on the Romulan. Spock nodded. "He believes if he delays us long enough, Charvon will be able to complete her mission." Kirk stepped outside with Spock, leaving the guards inside with Mardak. As the doors shut, he asked the Vulcan, "What 'truth serums' work on Romulans?" Spock raised an eyebrow. "Inveraciline-7, sir. However, might I remind you that Starfleet Regulation 54-5B prohibits the use of coercive drugs against Federation prisoners" Kirk shrugged. "But if we don't find out Charvon's plan, there won't _be_ a Federation to prosecute us, will there?" Spock noted that. "Logical". Kirk said, "I'll take full responsibility."

"Captain, there may be another way…a Vulcan mind-meld." Kirk was taken aback, the few incidents where Spock had agreed to use the mind-meld, he had always insisted on how personal and even intimate the telepathic bond was. "Spock? Are you sure? I know how personal that is." The Vulcan nodded. "But, as you said, if we do not find out her plans, I, as a person, will not exist." Kirk nodded and smiled. "Logical."

Returning to the Interrogation Room, Mardak looked again at the pair and slightly smiled. Kirk ordered the guards out of the room. He took one of their phasers and held it on the Romulan. Spock composed himself. "What is he doing?" Mardak asked, growing anxious. "Preparing himself," Kirk answered. "Preparing himself for what?" Kirk smiled. "For what he's planning on doing." Spock then turned and placed his right hand on the Romulan's face. Mardak struggled, but the force fields held even his head relatively steady. "Nooooo!"

Minutes later, the exhausted Romulan was led back to his cell by the Security personnel. Kirk gave Spock a moment, and then said "Spock?" The Vulcan regained his composure and then said softly. "Quite logical." "Spock?"

He looked over at Kirk. "Ask yourself, Captain," he began, "If you were an assassin and knew that one of some 700 survivors of a shipwreck was the target of your assassination, but you couldn't determine which one of the 700 it was…what would you do?" Kirk thought a moment. "Make sure there were **no** survivors. None at all." Spock nodded slowly. "Exactly. Charvon plans on making sure that none of the passengers and crew of the 'Titanic' survive." "How?" Spock looked up. "Quite simple. Sabotage all of the lifeboats. Without them, the survivors stand no chance until the arrival of the SS 'Carpathia.' Charvon is planning on putting micro-thermite charges on all the boats. They are set to detonate at 0225 hours, minutes after the 'Titanic' finally submerges."

"Is she alone now?" Kirk asked. "Yes, sir" "How do we stop her?" "I can quickly build a small radiation device. A bombardment with low-energy Berthold rays should nullify the explosives, "the Science Officer explained, "It would also de-magnetize them and they should fall off once they contact the water. Thus no evidence or interference with the timeline." The Captain nodded. "Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

IT'S ALL ABOUT ROSE-

Within an hour and a half, Spock had completed his Berthold ray generator, and incorporated it into a tricorder. It was agreed that Kirk would disarm the explosives, given as a "first-class passenger" he would have easier access and arouse no suspicion. Once finished, he would locate Rose and stay close to her to prevent some other attack by the Romulan commander. The Vulcan meantime would continue the search for Charvon.

Sunday morning had come to the "Titanic." James Kirk found the Boat Deck quiet, as many of the passengers and crew were attending church services or eating a late breakfast. He was able to quickly and quietly scan each life-boat. The explosives were easily found. Though the same color as the lifeboats and only the size of a small coin, the tricorder picked them up and the radiation generator rendered them inert. By lunch-time, Kirk had finished, even on the collapsible boats.

Meanwhile, Spock had resumed his deck-by-deck search of the ship. His sensors were now calibrated for the frequency of the "cloaking hood" that Mardak had used and was assumed being used by the female Romulan. His mission went slower, as he encountered passengers and crew in the corridors and had to hide the tricorder numerous times. He proceeded downwards.

After disarming the explosives, James Kirk makes for the First Class Dining Saloon. A steward had informed him that most of the first class passengers were there at a divine service being held by the Captain. Kirk approached the glass doors and looked to see Rose with her mother, in the middle of a group singing a hymn led by Captain Smith. Two stewards come to the door. They speak softly.

"Sir, the services are still underway, but you can join them if you like." Kirk smiled. "Uh, no…I'm….I'm Jewish." The stewards seem off-put. "I was just looking for a friend of mine. I'll wait for them to finish the service." The stewards nodded, closed the door, and stood back at their posts. Kirk went over to the Grand Staircase and leaned against the lower banister. Rose seemed safe in the group and he didn't want to cause any more commotion.

As he waited, he saw Jack Dawson approaching. The stewards stopped him at the door. After a brief row, Cal Hockley's manservant, whom Kirk recognized from their first night on "Titanic", came to the door as well. He tried to press currency into Dawson's hands, but the young man refused it. Then, the two stewards grabbed him under the arms and led him away from the Dining Saloon. He catches Kirk's eye and looks hopeful. The "Enterprise" captain returns a shrug. Kirk determines it's probably best the further anyone named "Dawson" is from Rose.

After the religious services, Thomas Andrews, the "Titanic" shipbuilder, leads Rose, her mother, Hockley, and two other first-class passengers on a tour of the ship. Kirk follows at a reasonable distance. First they stop at the Gymnasium. Afterwards, they move onto the Bridge. Kirk waits for them, pretending to be watching the sea over the nearby railing. They proceed to the Boat Deck. Andrews points out the davits and the boats to the group. At one point, Cal Hockley slaps his hand on the side of a lifeboat. To Kirk's immediate horror, it's right on the spot where Charvon had placed one of her explosives. He quickly recovers as he recalls both that the bomb was inert and that it was not detonated by impact.

Just as he gets his breath, a man in a coat and bowler hat turns from the rail and walks up behind the group. He taps Rose on the arm and she turns and gasps. Kirk leaps forward, but slows as he sees that the man is Jack Dawson. The young man motions to Rose and she breaks away from the group toward a door which Jack holds open. They duck into the Gymnasium.

Kirk moves closer to the door. He is just able to overhear their conversation. Mostly it is Dawson, pleading his case to Rose. Kirk smiles knowingly. Poor kid, he thinks, planning a future with the girl, when he has no future. Rose tries to dissuade him and eventually states she must leave. Jim Kirk leaps back and he feigns looking out to sea again. Rose pays him no attention and hurries to catch up to her mother and the rest.

Jack Dawson emerges a few moments later. His shoulders slumped. He immediately recognizes Kirk. "Hello, Jim." Kirk smiles. "Hello, Jack. Sorry about back at the Dining Saloon." Dawson waves it off. "Nah, there was nothing 'you' could do," he sighed, "Seems there's nothing I can do either." Kirk reached out and put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Well, Jack, some things just don't work out, you know? But what we experience, even the bad things, does have some merit." Dawson looked up and gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Jim." The man from the future patted him on the back. As Dawson walked slowly towards the bow of the ship, Kirk truly felt sorry for the young man, both for his romantic and personal fate. A memory hits Kirk. A memory of another young man, his love of a young woman, and how Time and History conspired against them. "She'd be in elementary school about now," he says to himself.

Hurrying down the deck, James Kirk eventually caught up with Rose and her group. Andrews' tour had ended and the women in the group were proceeding back to their cabins for yet another change in wardrobe. Kirk guessed it would be lunch and then afternoon tea. Hockley stayed with Andrews for a few moments, prodding the Irishman for any "stock tips" on the White Star lines. For the rest of the afternoon, until almost dusk, he maintained his watch over Rose. Taking a seat in the First Class Lounge only feet away from her, endlessly nursing a coffee.


	14. Chapter 14

A RENDEZVOUS AND A MEETING-

As the sun set, Kirk saw Rose Bukater deliberately spill her tea on her dress. None of the other women, including her mother noticed it as deliberate. He was perplexed at the action, as she only seemed to be distracted by a young girl being taught etiquette by her mother. She rose quickly, excused herself, and then left the room. Kirk followed after a moment.

He spotted her heading back down to the Third Class General Area. She spoke with a young Italian, Kirk presumed a friend of Jack Dawson's. And then she made her way towards the bow of the ship. As the Deck opened up at the forecastle, Kirk held back so as to not be spotted. He saw Rose run to greet Dawson on the point of the bow. They spoke and then to his terror, he saw Dawson put Rose further out on the bow, her arms outstretched, sixty or so feet above the churning bow-wake of the "Titanic".

Was it Charvon in disguise, he thought. He relaxed when he saw that the young man held Rose firmly. From that vantage point and perspective, it would appear to Rose that she was "flying". And then, they kissed. Kirk smiled. It was quite romantic. They remained there for a few minutes, as the last of the rays of the Sun faded.

As they turned back, Kirk realized he was exposed. The couple spotted him. Jack came up to him, smiling. "I guess you were wrong, Jim," he began, "Sometimes things do work out." Kirk smiled embarrassed at being caught, but it appeared as if he was embarrassed at being proven wrong. "Rose," Jack continued, "This is Jim Kirk." Rose, also smiling broadly, extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you." "Pleased to meet you too, miss." They said goodbye and hurried off towards the doorway to B Deck. Kirk breathed a sigh of relief. He took a chance and hoped they were heading for Rose's suite and waited some time before following.

Standing in the B Deck Foyer, pretending to read a newspaper against the back wall, Kirk waited. Some time later, Hockley's manservant approached. Kirk had the vaguest sense of knowing the man, but knew it was impossible. He watched him around the corner, seeing him enter Rose's suite. He waited for Rose and Jack to come out with the man close at their heels. Instead, he saw them emerge from a second door and bolt towards the foyer and into the elevators with Hockley's man close behind.

Entering an elevator, they go down, fortunately not noticing Kirk, focused on the tall man. Given his previous run-in with the couple, Kirk knew that a second encounter, especially as they attempted to flee pursuit from Hockley's man, would be very suspicious. Despite the risk, he decided to maintain his watch for them on the upper decks, hoping they would emerge again. He called Spock to alert him to keep an eye out for Rose and Jack below decks. But Kirk got no response.

In the meantime, Spock's efforts were proving negative. Even with the modified tricorder, the iron hull of the ship and its natural magnetism scattered the scans, so that he would have to be within five meters of Dion Charvon to detect her, if she was using the cloaking suit.

As evening approached, he was back to the lowest Decks. There was another run-in with the Chief of the Boiler Room, now obsequious and asking Spock where his "employer, Commissioner Kirk" was…and then onto the Forward Cargo Holds. Diligent, the Vulcan scanned every zone within a few meters. As he moved around a large touring automobile bound for New York, he worked his way between several crates. Spock turned and before he could react, a green blast sent him into unconsciousness.

Awaking he found himself bound with ropes, obviously taken from several of the crates. Standing over him was Dion Charvon. She had his tricorder, communicator, and hand phaser resting beside her on a box. "It's good to see you again, Spock," she stated flatly.


	15. Chapter 15

TWO LOVERS IN A CARGO HOLD-

"That is, not logical," Spock replied. Charvon smiled lightly. "It's not?" He shook his head slightly. "There is no logic for you to be _pleased_ to see me, when you wish my destruction and also know that I am here to prevent that." The Romulan woman smiled again. "Well, it may not be logical, but it often true, Spock, that we can have even some nostalgia for even those that betray us and ruin our lives. We did share a 'moment' on my ship that time." Spock shook his head. "I fail to see it the truth in it."

"Regardless," she continued, "It is opportune that we meet here at this place and this time. The end-game of my plan about to come to fruition." Spock feigned ignorance. "And that is?" Charvon shook her head. "Oh, no. I'm no cheap villain from a poorly written holo-novel. You will have to wait and see." Spock attempted to keep her distracted. "Surely, you realize that you cannot escape this vessel and that remaining onboard will kill you?" The woman nodded agreeably. "Absolutely, escape is not my plan. In fact, one of the key points where the iceberg will penetrate the ship is…" She patted the wall of the hull behind her, "Right here." She sighed. "A momentary blast of water and we will be dead in an instant."

"So you will fail to see the outcome?" Spock offered. "True," Charvon replied, "But history will be changed. Whoever this 'Rose Dawson' is, she will die and your future will end." She rested against a crate. "A new time-line will be created. One in which I will not be the foil for your hoax to obtain a cloaking device." Spock interrupted. "Or one in which you never existed at all?" The Romulan nodded. "A calculated risk. But no worse than my condition now, is it?" She was about to speak again, when she saw the communicator vibrating on top of the box where it was laying.

"Your Captain?" she asked. "Sadly for him, 'Marcus Aurelius Kirk' will have to find somebody else to marry in 70 years or so. And perhaps he'll have a daughter instead. Either way, his child won't sire the lineage that leads to James Kirk." Spock remained silent. The communicator stopped vibrating. Minutes passed in silence between the two.

Suddenly, the sound of a corridor hatch being open was heard. Two voices entered the large cargo hold, laughing. Charvon eyes Spock, who continues to be silent. She rounds a corner and sees Jack and Rose at the automobile. "Where to miss?" "To the stars." The couple eventually enter into love-play in the backseat. She walks back to Spock, contemplating them. She recognized the woman, she had seen her on her reconnoiter of the First Class cabins. Reaching for her own Romulan tricorder, she pulled up the list of the passengers. "Rose DeWitt Bukater." "Rose!"

As Charvon's eyes widened, she looked down at Spock and smiled. Then she turned, disruptor pistol in hand. She had barely reached the space between the crates when an orange bolt caught her in the back. As she turned, before going into a daze, she saw the shimmering effect of a Romulan personal cloak…and James Kirk coming into view.

Untying Spock a moment later, Kirk quietly noted. "Pretty good idea of yours, Spock. To hang on to this thing." Spock nodded. "I thought it might prove useful, Captain." He motioned to the automobile, where condensation had started to form on the windows. Kirk nodded. In a whisper, he said, "Let's get her back to the Enterprise."


	16. Chapter 16

THE SINKING-

"Captain's log, Earth date April 14th, 1912. 11:55pm Titanic time. The mighty sea vessel has now struck an iceberg. Foundering is an inevitability. We can only hope that whatever means Rose DeWitt Bukater used to survive the sinking before, occurs again. It is too dangerous for us to interfere. We are monitoring the ship from orbit. Meanwhile, Dion Charvon is being held in our ship's brig." Kirk deactivated the recorder.

He went to Spock's Science Station. "Situation?" Spock maintained his gaze on the hooded scanner. "I am detecting flooding in the first five compartments, sir. Just as history indicated." "Any way to detect Rose?" Spock stood. "Not at this range, sir. We may know nothing until we return to our own time." Kirk didn't like the answer. He turned and looked back at the Main Viewscreen. It showed the "Titanic", an aerial shot. It was still in the water. Well-lit, movement on the decks were easy to make out. Already, the first of the passengers were moving out to board the life-boats.

For the next two hours, the crew of the "Enterprise" watched the massive ship dip at the bow, then to the mid-ships, then raise up, vertically, only to snap in half. As the aft section bobbed there in the water for a few moments, Spock alerted Kirk.

"Sir, on the Viewscreen." The zoom on the aerial view was pushed to maximum. Individual passengers could be seen clinging to the aft railings as the aft section hung nearly vertically. Many fell into the water, some to their deaths from impact into the ship's structure. But on the aft railing, exactly where Kirk and Spock had seen them not two days earlier…were Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater. They were on the outward rail, riding the huge section of ship downward into the water.

Kirk ran to the bridge railing nearest the Viewscreen. As the last bit of the ship plunged into the water, he saw the two young people go under. A moment later, they emerge, frantically swimming in the mass of other passengers. James Kirk feels completely helpless, but then…he sees them move towards some large floating piece of debris. An armoire or something. Jack pushes Rose on it. He tries, too, but it flips. He pushes Rose back on again, and then swims beside it, holding the side.

Even from this incredibly powerful sensors, it's impossible for the crew of the "Enterprise" to hear what they are saying. It appears to be some "final goodbye." For a few minutes, they seem to be waiting. "Probably for the half-filled life-boats to return," Spock suggests to no one in particular. Kirk nods. Minutes more pass. The number of people moving in the water…reduces. Water that cold, Kirk thinks, with no modern (by his standard or even earlier) thermal gear, they won't last twenty minutes.

Minutes more pass. There are more soundless words between Jack and Rose. Hearing sniffling behind him, Kirk turns to see Uhura lightly crying at her communications station. Similar sentiments run throughout the Bridge. Spock's stoicism is well-guarded, but Kirk knows his friend too well, and knows what the images are doing to his "human half" as well. Finally, most of the passengers in the water cease moving. Jack Dawson is among the last. He says something to Rose and then he is quiet.

Kirk watches her from orbit. He is in dread that he didn't do something, or _did_ do something and that her fate is doomed as well. As the minutes pass, she appears to have joined the rest in a freezing death. Then, with a snap, her eyes open. She looks back at Jack's dead body. A moment later, with a start, she leaps back into the water. She seizes a whistle from a dead "Titanic" officer and begins blowing it. Eventually, a returning life-boat, manned by "Titanic" crew, pulls Rose nearly unconscious into the boat. James Kirk breathes an enormous sigh of relief.

As the Bridge Crew stands swathed in numerous emotions, Scotty enters. "Cap'n, I, uh…" he begins. Kirk composing himself, "What is it, Mr. Scott?" The Chief Engineer looks sheepish. "Well, sir. It's jus' that. I checked the Ship's Inventory after you and Mr. Spock returned and…" "Yes, yes?" Kirk asked somewhat frustrated.

"We're missing your communicator!"


	17. Chapter 17

RETRIEVAL OPERATION-

"What?" The Scotsman nodded. "Sir, I triple-checked. Everything is accounted for, even that old steamer trunk…jus' not your communicator." Kirk racked his memory. Damn! he thought. "It's in the Forward Cargo hold. I set it down when I put on the cloaking suit, in case it distracted Charvon." He thought for a moment. "Well, it's okay. We'll wait until the rescue operations by the 'Carpathia' are completed and go down later in the Aqua-shuttle and retrieve it."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, sir," Spock injected. "Why not?" "Disturbing the ship after the sinking, but before Dr. Robert Ballard's discovery in 1985 could risk changing the time-line." "What?" Kirk continued to be puzzled. "Even under strictest protocols," Spock continued, "We may inadvertently disturb some items. Items carefully catalogued by later explorers." Kirk thought a moment. "So what if we retrieve it _after _deep water salvagers have already begun taking items out of the ship?" Spock's eyebrow went up. "That could avoid any possible incongruities."

Six hours later, the "Enterprise" was ready yet again for time travel. Spock's calculations were fed into the Helm and the ship once again pushed itself into a time warp, this time though, one directed towards the "future"…i.e. some eight-five years from 1912.

As the starship took geo-synchronous orbit once again over the North Atlantic, preparations were made. And soon, James T. Kirk beamed yet again into an empty stateroom of a large ocean-going vessel. This time, it was a Russian research ship called the "Keldysh", working with an oceanographic salvager named Brock Lovett. Spock meanwhile took a team down in the Aqua-Shuttle, the submarine-capable shuttle of the "Enterprise." To further aid in the plan, Ensign Chekov had participated in the surface plan with Kirk.

They looked around a moment inside the room. Unlike "Titanic", Kirk noted it was sparse and utilitarian. "Excellent example of advanced 20th Century Russian technology, eh, Kep'tin" Chekov offered to Kirk's cynical smirk. They made their way out into the corridor unseen, both wearing appropriate late 1990s sea-wear.

A mild gale had finished blowing past the "Keldysh" and sensors had revealed a helicopter leaving the deck earlier in the day. Evening was approaching, and the "Enterprise" had detected no submersibles near the wreck. Spock was able to begin his operations. Kirk and Chekov maintained their watch on the crew of the Russian ship. Any hint of a launch of a submersible, even a ROV, and they could alert Spock.

As Kirk wandered the deck, he came upon an open hatchway into a room labeled "Preservation Area". Inside he saw Lovett, whom he recognized from the historical database, two associates, and the back of a young blonde woman…and an extremely old woman sitting in a chair, her back as well to him. The woman seemed to be recounting some aspects of the sinking and Kirk only caught the last of it.

"I don't even have a picture of him. He exists now only in my memory." Though aged, he recognized the voice. His eyes widened and he pulled back and leaned against the outer wall.

A few hours later, Spock reported in. The communicator had been located and retrieved by the Aqua-Shuttle salvage team. He reported little contact with other materials that went down in the sinking.

As dusk gave way to mid-evening, the crew of the "Keldysh" were drinking and dancing, as apparently the diamond necklace they were trying to recover was lost eternally at sea. Lovett and the woman, who Kirk knew would eventually become his wife Lizzie Calvert, were talking near the aft.

As the transporter beam carrying Chekov faded, Kirk, standing on the starboard beam, made one last look out at the blackness of the North Atlantic Ocean. He was just about to turn, when a voice came from behind him. "Mr. Kirk?"

In horror, he turned and saw the elderly Rose DeWitt Bukater Dawson Calvert standing in front of him, wearing a nightgown. The face had changed, but the eyes were the same. The Captain of the "Enterprise" was stunned, but tried to quickly recover. "Uh, I'm sorry, ma'am. You must have me confused with somebody else. My name is Chris Pike."

Rose shook her head, but was equally confused. "No, Mr. Kirk, "she began, "I never forget a face. Never. How is this possible?" Kirk stood there for a moment. Any lie wouldn't get past Rose; he knew it.

"I'm a time traveler, Rose." She smiled. "That would be the only logical explanation, wouldn't it?" He smiled back. "Why are you here?" she asked. "I left a device on the 'Titanic' when it went down, I had to recover it. We can't leave behind anything on the ship that doesn't belong there." She cocked her head, and pondered that. Rose looked at him. "You know, that works _both_ ways." She stuck out her hand. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Kirk." He shook it. It was only hours earlier, for him, that he had done it last with a much younger version. "It's good to see you again too, Rose." She smiled again. "If you'll excuse me, there's something I need to put back on the ship." And she turned and went towards the aft of the Russian ship.

He was momentarily fearful that she was about to commit suicide. A fear that grew larger, as he saw the centenarian climb the aft railing, in nearly an identical position as he had first seen her on the "Titanic". Lovett and Rose's granddaughter spotted her and they and a few others rushed up to her. But it immediately became apparent she was not planning on jumping in the ocean, as the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace emerged from her hand and dangled off the deck. Lovett tried to convince her not to drop it, and then ultimately to let him touch it once. After he did, she let it go and it plunged into the water. James Kirk smiled. Rose climbed down from the railing and re-joined her granddaughter.

Kirk turned, thought for a moment, and then re-entered the empty stateroom. "Kirk to 'Enterprise', one to beam up."


End file.
